About AJFAND

INTRODUCTION

The African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND) is a highly cited and prestigious peer reviewed journal with a global reputation, published in Kenya by the Africa Scholarly Science Communications Trust (ASSCAT).

Our internationally recognized publishing programme covers a wide range of scientific and development disciplines, including agriculture, food, nutrition, environmental management and sustainable development related information.

HISTORY

AJFAND was initiated in 2001 as a pilot project and was managed by the Rural Outreach Programme (ROP) headed by Prof. Ruth Oniang’o . The first issue was published in August 2001, making it one of the first continuously published agriculture, nutrition and development research publication in Africa. It is a publication with each issue combining research, programs and policy aspects.

VISION

AJFAND envisions a world where information on Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development is contributed and shared honestly, respectfully, equally and impartially, a world in which the AJFAND supports all those who would like to contribute to knowledge building in the South as well as in the North. A key guiding principle of AJFAND is that no culture has a monopoly of knowledge.

MISSION

The African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development (AJFAND) wants to improve policy and decision-making in the field of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, the application of emerging technologies, their regulation and related research.

OBJECTIVES

• To Provide a broad base of knowledge
• To Increase the capacity of decision making - for policy makers, NGOs, farmers, to formulate informed decisions.
• To Iincrease the influence of readers in the generation of content
• To Give coherence and wider relevance to often fragmented, inaccessible and regionally specific information on agricultural technologies being generated by local scientists, policy-makers and agriculturalists
• To Contribute to public awareness and understanding of all technologies

TARGET GROUP

The primary audience of the Journal consists of scientists, researchers, policy makers, students and non Governmental populace whose profession and/or interest lie in sustainable development, agriculture and food security. The secondary target group also includes a wide range of people like journalists, lecturers, opinion leaders, who work in the media and provide the actors with information through newspapers, magazines, lectures, website, radio, television, traditional dance and drama.

AJFAND is open to both African and non-African contributors. Besides academic research, the journal provides an avenue for sharing information on national-level food, nutrition and agricultural programs.

ACTIVITIES

AJFAND is designed to meet its objectives through publication. Preference for publication is given to practical examples of policies, theories, strategies and programs which utilize educational, organizational, economic and/or environmental approaches. The synergies here are of critical importance.

It also internationalizes many processes of spreading information, through its international advisory board, international editorial board and use of the media. A key focus of all our programmes is capacity strengthening which is normally addressed through training, workshops and student internships.

AJFAND activities are grouped in five programme areas:

1. Education and Research
   Supporting: networking, accessing, sharing, and publishing of papers for researchers, scholars, scientists, and academics on agriculture, food, nutrition, environmental management and sustainable development related information. 
   
2. Health and Nutrition
   Supporting and facilitating communication, networking, accessing, sharing, and publishing of information between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers involved in health promotion activities. Recent topics include HIV/AIDS, health and sanitation promotion in rural areas, food safety, food security, food trade, healthier eating, infant feeding, immunization.
   
3. Library
   Creating and preserving online digital information across all formats and ensures effective access and management of information to all, especially those serving research and educational communities. The online article library ensures that its collections remain forward-looking, open to browsing, and of world-renowned quality.
   
4. Publishing Support
   Strengthening the work of editors and communication professionals, especially those in research and science. Through publishing, AJFAND makes people aware of the resources available to them, and through innovation, it makes access to these resources easier.
   
5. Rural Development and Agriculture
   Supporting networking, accessing, sharing, and publishing of information for rural development practitioners. The lack of basic information plays a significant part in the persistence of poverty. Poor people need better connections to schools, health care, markets, essential services and each other. Almost all of the Millennium Development Goals depend on providing infrastructure.